A Little Revenge
by DameM
Summary: Follow up to "HMHL."  The guys finally come up with an idea to get back at Yachiru for putting them in the last SWA newsletter.  The plan just might work too, if Rukia and the other women don't get wind of it first.
1. The Plans of Shinigami and Quincy

Disclaimer: I do not own the Bleach characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Tite Kubo et al.

_A Little Revenge_

_The Plans of Shinigami and Quincy_

To say that Ichigo was bored would have been an understatement. As a captain of the Gotei Thirteen he was getting used to the copious amounts of paperwork heaped on his desk daily courtesy of his lieutenant and two third seats. Most of the forms and reports were for him to simply sign but there were some that he actually had to fill out. He had come to the conclusion months ago that this was worse than high school and he often had the wish to go sit in class for a little while just to relieve the monotony. And he might have been tempted to take off for the World of the Living if it weren't for two things. One, his girlfriend would loudly object and two, his lieutenant would object. Being that the two were the same person, Rukia Kuchiki, he knew better than to think he could get away with it without her finding out within moments of him slipping through the gates.

That wasn't his only complaint of the day, or of the month for that matter. Ever since he and Toushiro had made a crack at the SWA, he had been living with a montage of Chappy plastered on every wall in his office. And while he couldn't see the attraction of a cartoon rabbit, he usually didn't mind Rukia having one or two of the stuffed characters hanging around. After all, it was her office too and he wanted her to be comfortable. She had deserved to be a lieutenant for a long time and only her brother's edict had kept her from being one until the end of the war with Aizen. However, that didn't mean he wanted to stare at the blasted thing night and day.

As much as he loved the midget, he was getting sick and tired of turning his head to gaze off into space only to be met with Chappy. Sighing, he was contemplating going for a stroll when his cell rang. The phone had been modified, by Urahara no less, to work both in the Soul Society and in the Living World so he was never out of touch with either his friends or his family in either dimension. Blinking in incomprehension for a moment at Ishida's number, he quickly answered it before Rukia questioned why he was staring stupidly at his phone.

"Kurosaki," he answered, hoping the sound of his last name on his lips would have her ignoring his conversation. She looked up from her desk but went back to her work almost immediately without comment.

"Are you free to talk, Kurosaki?"

"Give me a minute." Getting up and slipping on his captain's haori, he waved Rukia back down when she noticed his "look official" stance. He only wore the haori outside of the barracks unless he went to train. The white over coat too often got blasted away by his reiatsu if he left it on. "Another meeting," he said by way of explanation and left Rukia to man the office. Since captains tended to meet frequently, he didn't think that she'd get suspicious. And she couldn't accuse him of lying if he didn't say who he was meeting with.

"Okay," he said, once he was well away from Seireitei.

"Rukia was right there, wasn't she?" Ishida asked, having heard the wind blow by the phone for several seconds before Ichigo spoke.

"Yes, what can I do for you?"

"You assumed that I was calling because I had some sort of idea about the topic we discussed the last time I was there."

"Yeah, since you don't call me otherwise. At least you take my phone calls now. So, what have you got in mind?"

"I was discussing the squads with Orihime last night and she happened to mention that Yachiru likes sweets."

"Likes? She's obsessed. She'll raid any and all barracks, not to mention Byakuya's looking for the stuff. And having her on a sugar high is not a pretty sight. You thought she was fast when we came here the first time? That's nothing compared to the hyperactive pinball she becomes after consuming sugary sweets. Even Kenpachi limits her intake."

"Perfect. If Zaraki even has a problem with her, then this may work out better than anticipated."

"How does getting her higher than a kite co-inside with getting our revenge on her? If we give her sweets, it'll be like rewarding her."

"But we won't be giving them to her," Ishida's voice was smug on the other end of the cell. "We're going to kill two birds with one stone. I have a score to settle with Kurotsuchi and since neither Captains Kuchiki, nor Hitsugaya, nor you like the man, he's the perfect fall guy. It works even better because he's known to have a sweet tooth himself."

Ichigo gazed out over Seireitei from his spot on the hill and thought over what his friend was suggesting. "You want us to take every sweet there is in the Seireitei and hide them in Squad Twelve."

"Not the barracks, just the research portion. I want her to create a disaster trying to find the confections. And the more she consumes…"

"The more damage she'll do. I'll have to talk it over with Byakuya and Toushiro. It might not be feasible with all the security the mad man has in the Institute. And I don't want her to destroy all the stuff there; he does have some pretty useful information."

"I'm sure a genius like him has backup drives to all his computers. Let me know what you find out."

"Sure. Don't go sharing this with Inoue, though. She talks to Rukia regularly and if it gets back to the midget, I'll never hear the end of it."

"Chappy still gracing your walls, Kurosaki?"

"Shut up," Ichigo said in lieu of goodbye and shut his phone. Now to go find the others and see what they thought. The orange haired captain was half way to the Kuchiki estate when he realized he really _did_ have a meeting at the First Squad.

The senior captains gave him a dirty look when he entered late and he shrugged as if to say he'd forgotten, and he had. Rukia usually reminded him but as he had left on the pretext of a meeting, she had probably assumed he'd actually remembered this one and hadn't said anything.

"Is everything all right, Kurosaki-kun? It's not like you to be late." Shunsui tipped his hat backwards so he could get a better look at the young captain.

"No, sir, I just got a report in from the Living World. A friend called and let me know how things were." Ichigo glanced meaningfully at Toushiro.

"Ah, so all is well, that is good." The captain in charge smiled, knowing there was more to it than Ichigo was letting on.

"I apologize for being late. Did I miss anything important?"

"Everything is important, you heathen," the twelfth division captain scoffed, his long fingernail having put up a display screen of some kind. It was kind of creepy in Ichigo's opinion and he was more than willing to have Kurotsuchi get his comeuppance. The trick would be to do so without the clown figuring it out. Ishida was right in one respect, the man, no matter how insane, was a genius.

"Of course, proceed," Ichigo said, trying to sound serious. Oh, yes, he would enjoy making the number twelve captain pay for all his slights. Genius or no, there was a way to trick him and together with the other resident genius, Ichigo would find a way to put Ishida's plan into action.


	2. The Ice Dragon Weighs In

_A/N: Just four people to thank for reviews. "**Ichigo**," **DeviantHollow23**, **JadeKurosaki**, and** Eradona**. To the anonymous reviewer "**Ichigo**," I don't know whether your review was meant as a compliment or not, but please refrain from swearing in the reviews. The only reason my readers find mild swearing in the stories is because it is in the nature of the character to do so. Anyway, you're all probably wondering where this has been. I'm afraid my inspiration took a leave of absence without my permission. I apologize and intend to work on the next chapter after posting this._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Bleach characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Tite Kubo et al.

_A Little Revenge_

_The Ice Dragon Weighs In_

Ichigo followed the other captains out of the first division meeting room and came along side Toushiro. Byakuya was ahead and didn't seem inclined to talk to anyone much less his sister's boyfriend and frequent nemesis so the orange haired teen thought he'd run Ishida's plan by the genius. "Oi, Toushiro, got a minute?"

"What now, Kurosaki? If I don't get back soon, nothing will get done. Mother is on one of her lazy binges."

"It seems that Ishida had this idea…" He let the words hang, knowing Toushiro would understand. And by saying the Quincy's name, the plan would have more credence then if Ichigo had come up with it himself. The thirteenth squad captain was not one to plan ahead. He'd always charged into his fights.

"I'm listening." Trying for casual, Ichigo made sure no one was around while he confided in the other young man.

"Yachiru likes candy. She's actually obsessed with it. What do you suppose her reaction would be if she couldn't get any?"

"Are you _nuts_? She'd tear this whole place apart looking for some."

"Ah, but what if there was only one place she could get it?"

Toushiro looked at his friend, seeing the maniacal look in his eye. "You're not suggesting…"

"Ishida is, actually." Ichigo grinned at the thought of getting back at Kurotsuchi.

"He's going to find out if you do that."

"Not if it were planned very, very carefully. Even if he figures out it was done to get back at him, then he's still going to have a long list of suspects. Too many people have been slighted by him in the past for it to be otherwise and he won't try to go after Yachiru for fear of what Kenpachi would do to him."

The white haired genius smiled at the thought of the mad scientist getting his just desserts and then snickered at the pun. He was spending too much time around his mother lately. Her odd sense of humor was rubbing off. "Hmm, and I suppose you have come to me to find out whether it's possible."

"You, and Byakuya." Both teens watched the retreating back of the noble and grimaced. "I'll, uh, talk to him later."

"You're going to have to talk to him eventually. Especially if you're really going to ask him for permission to marry Rukia one of these days."

Ichigo whipped his head to the side in order to glare at his friend. The shorter man wore his habitual smirk. "Who told you that?"

"It seems that your father overheard you at some point and told Urahara, who told Yoruichi-san, who told Mother. And since Mother is most likely _the_ biggest gossip in all of Seireitei, I'd say you can bet Kuchiki-taicho knows all about your plans."

"That pain in the—old goat. He never knows when to leave well enough alone. No wonder Byakuya's in a bad mood."

"Oh, I doubt that's his current reason. Mother told me about your plans weeks ago. This probably has something to do with the fact the SWA held another meeting in his house."

"Ah, so maybe this _would_ be a good time to talk to him about it."

"No, let me work out the particulars and if I have any questions, I'll borrow your phone to call Ishida. Mine only works as a communicator from the real world to here."

"Sure, just come up with a really good reason for borrowing it or Rukia will know something's up before the plan ever gets off the ground."

Toushiro nodded; well aware of what would happen to both of them should the SWA find out what the Quincy had come up with. No amount of reiatsu would save any of the guys in that case. "Well, I'll see you later then." The ice dragon waved, using his flash step to make up the time that he had wasted talking to Ichigo. With any luck, neither Momo nor his mother would notice a few minutes either way. Captain meetings tended to run long when Kurotsuchi had things to report so they weren't likely to comment on anything.

"Later," Ichigo returned, giving a small salute. He returned to his office to find the paperwork tripled on his desk and his lieutenant calmly sipping tea at the table on the other side of the room.

"Was the meeting interesting?"

"Nah, just some stuff that Kurotsuchi was spouting off about." He looked forlornly out the window and sighed. "I'll never understand how you can do so much paperwork in so little time, Rukia."

"I'm a Kuchiki."

"There's no denying that. Hey, why don't we go out to eat tonight?" Ichigo had never asked her directly for a date, merely suggested dinners alone away from his crazy family or the full barracks.

"That sounds nice. I might consider it if you get your work done before then." Rukia gave him a superior smile and went back to drinking her tea. One of his great motivators lately had been the opportunity to spend time alone with her. They rarely had the chance as they were busy working, training, or forced to eat with their subordinates. Sometimes they even had to spend an evening with her brother at the estate.

Ichigo sighed, slumping briefly in his chair before going to work on signing the various forms and reports. He was about halfway through when he came across one that had the unmistakable hallmarks of Rukia's horrible drawing. "Rukia, I don't think the soutaicho is going to accept Chappy imitations as a report."

"Is there something wrong with Chappy?" Rukia's violet eyes took on a killer sheen as she glanced over at Ichigo.

"You know my answer to that, midget. And while I might let it slide, I don't think the first division would understand your sense of style."

"True, it takes a real aficionado to appreciate my art." Ichigo tried to hide his smirk but Rukia caught it. "Is something wrong, Ichigo?" She strode forward, coming around to stare at him. Even though she was a lot shorter, she still managed to look down on him.

"Of course not, midget."

"Will you stop calling me that? I'm not short, you're just freakishly tall." A vein pulsed in her forehead and she slammed a fist down onto his desk. Subordinates in the hall scurried out of the way. When their lieutenant got this angry, it never ended well.

Grinning suddenly, Ichigo pulled her down onto his lap, holding her tightly so that she couldn't hit him. Tipping back her face, he kissed her gently. "Ah, but you're my midget and I wouldn't want you any other way." When her eyes softened and she relaxed in his arms, he went back to signing papers, not caring if anyone walked in on them in their current position. Rukia eventually came to her senses and got up in a huff.

"Baka, don't think you can win every argument that way." He watched her take the report back to her desk to redo and hid his satisfaction. If he showed more affection, it would keep her off stride and she wouldn't pay much attention to any other plans he had in the works. For several weeks he had tried to be more demonstrative in his feelings and she had been shy in the face of such physicality. This would be the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. "What are you looking at?" she demanded, pointing a brush at him.

"You," he said simply and left it at that.

* * *

Toushiro relaxed in his chair, going over the problems Ishida's plan had. Normally he would have liked to have written things down to clarify them in his mind but in this case that wasn't a very good idea. Since learning that he knew she was his mother, his lieutenant had taken on the bad habit of snooping through his personal papers, whether they were here in the office or in his room.

"Ah, Toushiro-kun, there you are. I was wondering what was taking so long." Matsumoto grinned at her son, saluting him with a sake jug. More and more lately she had taken to just picking up the rice wine to irritate him rather than to actually drink. She could however still act like a drunk when it became necessary.

"Mother, have you done the reports of the last scouting mission yet?"

"One, or two," Rangiku admitted. She had started them but had gotten distracted again. Studying her beloved child closely, she saw that he had that look on his face that said he was working on a problem. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing I can't handle, Mother. Just finish those reports okay? I don't want to have to stand through another meeting staring at some projection that Kurotsuchi insists is crucial."

"All right," she agreed and watched as a brow was raised in suspicion. "What? I can occasionally force myself to work. My not-so-little-anymore son needs my help."

"Mother, you can be such an airhead at times. If I didn't know you were acting half the time, I'd be truly worried for my sanity." Toushiro turned his attention away from his mother and frowned.

"You can be so mean, Toushiro. Oh, that reminds me, the SWA will be having lunch here tomorrow. That is all right, isn't it?" Rangiku gave him one of those looks that said it had better be and smiled when she saw how readily he gave in.

"Yes, just as long as they don't make a mess." His thoughts returned to what he was figuring out before she came back and privately smirked to himself. There were some bugs to work out, but he was throwing his hat in with the others. "I have to go see Ichigo for a minute. Try to stay focused."

"Yes, Captain!"

When he reached the thirteenth division, he found the office of the taicho and fukutaicho silent but for the occasional swish of brush against paper. Without bothering to knock on the frame, the white haired captain entered. "Kurosaki, let me borrow your phone."

"Why's that?" the orange haired teen asked for form's sake.

"I need a soccer ball."

"Didn't you just buy one?"

"Hyorinmaru froze it." Ichigo gladly handed the cell over and watched with seeming disinterest as Toushiro wandered away to make the call. When he came back, teal eyes meant brown honey. "All set," the genius said and handed back the phone before leaving as if it were an everyday occurrence.

Rukia didn't become suspicious because lately the ice dragon had taken to dribbling a ball around the practice yard when he got tired of his mother's antics. Ichigo intended to keep her ignorant of the facts. The game was now afoot.


	3. And The Noble Concurs

_A/N: Only one reviewer to thank since this morning since it's a quick update. Thank you, __**CressidaRene**__, for reviewing and adding this story to your lists._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Bleach characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Tite Kubo et al.

_A Little Revenge_

_And The Noble Concurs_

If anyone thought it odd that both Toushiro and Ichigo were going to visit the Kuchiki estate, no one commented on it for fear that they'd either be frozen or blasted away by the orange haired teen's reiatsu. They didn't relish confronting either if word got around. Ichigo was a regular at the estate anyway so the guards let the two in without a blink and a mild thought that maybe he had brought the other captain with him for moral support when he finally asked the lord for his sister's hand. Rumors had circulated about Kurosaki's intentions although they had, under pain of death by a thousand cherry blossom blades, kept the news from Rukia.

Ichigo ignored the knowing looks of the servants and guards, thanks to Toushiro now knowing exactly why he was getting that look. "Your mother has a big mouth."

"Yes," the other adolescent said on a sigh. "She's going to have fun with you for weeks when you finally do get the courage."

"It's not courage that I lack."

"And just what is it you do lack, Kurosaki?" Byakuya came up behind them, noting with satisfaction the taller of the two young men's start of surprise. The noble could sneak up behind people better than most of the Stealth Squad thanks to Yoruichi's training.

"I'm not old enough yet," Ichigo said and left it at that. Byakuya was well aware of how young he was.

"But you intend do so." It was not a question and both proud men stared at each other in silence for several minutes.

"When the time comes, and I'm sure that is what she wants. That's not what we came here to discuss."

"And why is it that you have come here uninvited."

"Ishida had this idea," Toushiro began before the two proud men who loved Rukia could get into a fight. Since she loved both as well, he didn't want her to have to choose between her brother and her boyfriend.

"What does the Quincy have to do…" Byakuya stopped, searching the grounds of the estate for the reiatsu of a little pink haired pest. "I see, this way."

Once they were sequestered in his office, surrounded by a barrier to keep eavesdroppers away, the three captains began discussing the plan. Ichigo began, telling the noble of Ishida's idea. "We know there are problems with it; I was hoping you and Toushiro could work with Ishida to iron them out. You three are much better at strategizing. I'm more of an implementation man. Charging in head first isn't going to work this time." Although he could plan when necessary, he didn't like to take the time if it could be helped. When he thought things through, it took a while whereas the two in front of him could do it in a second.

"There is one major issue to address. How are we going to secure the entire candy supply in the Seireitei and ensure that the shops do not make more?"

"That is the question of the hour, and what I'm hoping you could figure out. I wonder if they wouldn't mind helping us. I'm sure she's terrorized the merchants from time to time." Toushiro and Byakuya exchanged a look, remembering a particular memorable instance when she had done just that.

"You are correct. Yachiru has bothered them on occasion. I shall see if they would be willing to cooperate in this endeavor." Ichigo leaned back, glad that they hadn't had to grovel or spend long minutes trying to explain themselves to the older Kuchiki. "However," Byakuya paused when both younger captains groaned. "You are to leave my sister out of this, Kurosaki."

"Che, I never intended for her to be anything but a bystander. I don't want to hurt her. I just don't want Chappy all over my office anymore."

Toushiro straightened and met the noble's gaze head on. "Kuchiki-taicho, Momo and Kuchiki-san are part of the SWA but they aren't the ones we're trying to teach a lesson to. Besides, we'd rather not lose our girlfriends. Not after all we went through to get them. And we love them. Surely you can understand the difference."

"The same would apply to your mother, Hitsugaya."

"Yes. She has her own demons to deal with at the moment though. And the only reason she agreed with putting those pictures in the newsletter in the first place is because she's being a typical show off mother. Can't really blame her for that."

"You have matured," Byakuya said in approval and then turned hard eyes on Ichigo. "You, are another matter."

"Hey, I'm not the one who came up with the idea of hiding candy from a kid and destroying the Research Institute out of revenge. I'm just all for it. If that makes me a little immature than at least that's proof that I didn't lose my soul and all my youth in the war."

"Ichigo…" Toushiro started but his friend waved him off.

"Hn, it is as you say, Kurosaki. I will let you know what I find out when you return for dinner tomorrow with Rukia." Byakuya rose and started to leave the room. "Regarding that other matter we discussed when you arrived."

"Eh?"

"You have a long way to go before I will ever agree to a marriage between my sister and you."

"Don't you think she should have a say in that? For years she's been kowtowing to you because she was afraid you'd abandon her. She's still unsure of your affection and is always half scared that you only put up with her because Hisana-sama asked it of you." Toushiro shook his head, figuring that if they didn't leave soon, a fight would break out.

"Ichigo, let's leave."

"I'm coming." Ichigo turned on his heel and left the room before Byakuya could answer. The grim look in his eyes did not bode well for dinner the next day.

"He has a point, Kuchiki-taicho. And if you get into a fight with Kurosaki, you'll only end up the bad guy at this point. So far Lieutenant Kuchiki doesn't know his true intentions and he's not likely to say anything to her until you do give your blessing."

"You were never one to interfere, Hitsugaya."

"We owe a lot to Ichigo. Me, perhaps more than most. If you don't get rid of your hatred for him, eventually you'll force your sister to choose. As one who was forced to grow up without my mother because revenge was more important than anything else, I can tell you that being the one left behind isn't a pleasant feeling. It just might break her heart. Ichigo can be an idiot and it's true that he isn't a noble but you have to remember that Kuchiki's real nature isn't that of a noble either. They're two halves of one whole and if you separate them, neither will be worth anything if we ever come up against another Aizen.

"You loved your wife like I love Momo, it almost broke us to lose them. You don't want to see what would happen if Ichigo was forced to give up the one woman who loves him despite the hollow lurking inside. It may have remained dormant all this time but there's no telling when it'll resurface. He needs something to protect, and she's it at the moment." Toushiro turned to leave the room, having said much more than he had intended.

Byakuya looked at the shorter captain's back and stayed silent when he was given a curt nod in farewell. Watching the white haired teen leave, the noble couldn't deny the truth of the genius' words. "Hn." There would be plenty of time to mull over what to do about Kurosaki's intention to marry his sister. For the moment, he had to visit every shop in the Seireitei to ensure that a pink haired demon didn't get her hands on any candy for a significant period of time. Normally he would send a servant but there were some things that could only be handled personally.

Revenge was one of them.


	4. Something's Fishy

_A/N: I know it's been a really long time. Anyway, a couple of people to thank for the last chapter's reviews: __**CressidaRene**__ and __**Eradona**__._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Bleach characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Tite Kubo et al.

_A Little Revenge_

_Something's Fishy_

When Rukia caught wind of a rumor that Ichigo had been to see her brother, she dismissed it as nothing more than nonsense. The two hated each other with a depth that surprised her even now. She would have thought that Ichigo's sacrifice, or rather apparent sacrifice, during the Winter War and his subsequent promotion to captain would have eased her brother's hostility. And even if Byakuya was still adverse to Ichigo, her boyfriend rarely held a grudge against his enemies after defeating them and often made friends. Rukia supposed that it went deeper than her brother's sense of superiority and Ichigo's brashness. They were both older brothers and in Ichigo's eyes, Byakuya had failed her once too often. Older brothers were supposed to protect their younger sisters and until after she had been almost executed, the Kuchiki noble hadn't done that. Knowing all this, she easily believed that the rumor was false. There was no way that the two would willingly spend any more time in the other's company than absolutely necessary. During captains' meetings there was a telling frost in the air that had nothing to do with Hitsugaya-taicho's Zanpakutou.

Rukia couldn't unfortunately dismiss the information a second time when it was brought to her by the most reliable source of information. Rangiku Matsumoto might be the biggest gossip in all of Seireitei but there hadn't been a time in Rukia's memory when the other lieutenant had been wrong about something. So when she and Momo appeared in her office asking her if she knew the reason why three men that they knew really didn't get along all that well were suddenly seen together, Rukia knew something was not right.

"He might have gone to complain," Rukia offered, not completely believing her own words. It was true that Ichigo made his dissatisfaction about being ordered to dinner loud and clear but she couldn't figure out why he would have dragged Hitsugaya along for the ride.

"About what?" Momo asked sitting back in the chair she'd been offered and sipping tea. Rangiku was across from her, doing the same. She had cut back on the sake of late and she had the niggling suspicion she was going to need all her wits about her. Something was a little off.

"Nii-sama often announces at meetings that we are expected at dinner without asking us if we're free. Maybe Ichigo got fed up and trailed him home. Hitsugaya-taicho might have tried to prevent a fight." It was entirely possible and seemed to make sense to Momo.

"My son is equally hot tempered given the right circumstances. Not that Byakuya Kuchiki is completely lacking in that department either. All three of them in the same place are a volatile combination. They certainly weren't sitting down to tea."

"No, I'm sure that must have been the case." Rukia sat her tea cup down to pick up a cookie. She often missed the ones Yuzu made. Idly she wondered if she could convince Ichigo to let her go to the Living World so that she could get the good stuff.

"What was the case?" Ichigo strode in the room, his confident steps slowing when he found Momo and Rangiku there as well. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no. Somebody said you were seen leaving Nii-sama's. I was sure they were wrong until Matsumoto-san confirmed it."

"Oh, that's right. The jerk ordered us to dinner again tomorrow. I swear he does it to make me uncomfortable. We had some words." Ichigo held his breath, hoping they wouldn't read anything else into his words.

"Most likely."

"Kurosaki-taicho, was Toushiro-kun with you?"

"Yes, he went with me. We were walking back together when I caught up with Byakuya. He prevented a fight." The three women nodded knowingly, and the orange haired captain released a silent sigh of relief. He seemed to have assuaged their suspicions.

"I wish you wouldn't argue with Nii-sama, Ichigo."

"Che, he's the one who started it." Giggles were the reply to the childish charge and he didn't bother to hide his sigh this time. "I almost forgot. I found this in a shop on my way back." He took out a small wrapped object from his uniform and handed it to his girlfriend.

Matsumoto and Momo leaned over to see the gift, finding a small chocolate bunny in the rice paper. "Chappy!" Rukia hugged the treat to her for a moment and then put it down to hug Ichigo. "You hate Chappy."

"With a passion and it's not Chappy just a rabbit shaped chocolate. The shopkeeper said he might be able to duplicate Chappy's shape. Anything else would be against copyright laws…" He trailed off, realizing that the Soul Society probably had no concept of Japanese copyright laws if they had even heard of such things. "Anyway, he said he'd try to make some up for you. I'll go back later this week to see if he was successful." He had come up with the ploy as an excuse to be seen entering candy shops. Toushiro had been surprised at his cleverness and had approved.

Unfortunately for the other teenager, he had been pressured into getting some candy for not only his girlfriend, but for his mother as well. Ichigo had a feeling some of those sweets would find their way into the white haired captain's mouth but didn't say anything. He had teased his friend enough about spoiling the women he loved.

"So, where is Toushiro?" Matsumoto stood, stretching.

"He's waiting back at your office. He'd tried stopping to see Hinamori-san but she wasn't there. Now I know why. He's got a present for you both."

"A present?" Matsumoto asked, while Momo's face lit up. "He's such a sweet boy." The two visitors left, in good humor and smiles all around.

Rukia looked at Ichigo, her chocolate bunny half eaten already. "What did he buy them?"

"Candy, of course. It gives him an excuse to indulge his sweet tooth."

"But Hitsugaya-taicho hates candy."

Bending down, Ichigo kissed the confection off of her face. "I'm sure that his consumption will have nothing to do with wanting candy and everything to do with Momo. Chocolate is much better when taken from the lips of the woman you love."

"Idiot," she said half-heartedly. He wasn't one to openly admit most of the time that he loved her so when he did, she took it seriously. "Is it really that much better?"

Ichigo broke off a piece and stuck it into his mouth. After a few brief chews, he swallowed, smiling knowingly down at her. "Why don't you kiss me and find out?" The challenge was answered and he went back to his desk smug. His plan to be more affectionate was working and he was getting some nice side benefits too.

"You're right, it does taste better that way," Rukia said before standing to pick up the empty tea cups. When she left the room, Ichigo scrambled for a way to send a message to Toushiro. He finally called his third seat Sentarō Kotsubaki in to bring it to the other captain. After swearing the other man to secrecy he went back to his work. He would find out who had started the rumor that he had been talking to Byakuya.

Toushiro's response came a few minutes later and he destroyed the evidence just before Rukia made it back into the room from washing and putting away the dishes. She looked at the two men in the office with a wary eye but did not voice her questions. Ichigo tended to give the two third seats equal tasks that kept them busy and away from each other. She couldn't figure out whether they were naturally over competitive or they were attracted to each other and just fighting it. To find one without the other was no longer odd. He also often gave them the less important tasks, wanting to give her the more difficult ones that would show her brother how capable she really was.

"Can I help you with anything, Kotsubaki-san?" Rukia asked when he was still standing in the doorway.

"No, ma'am. Was there anything I could do for you?"

"I'll take any paperwork that has backed up on you." Rukia studied the jumpy third seat and then her captain. Ichigo was studiously plowing through the stacks on his desk, signing with an efficiency that sent a warning bell off in her mind.

"Thank you, ma'am!" the man left in a hurry, confirming her suspicions.

Something was most definitely fishy.


	5. Candy, Candy, Not Everywhere?

_/N: Some people to thank for their reviews: __**Deviant Hollow23**__, __**CressidaRene**__, and "__**agentsabog**__." And a quick thanks to anyone who added this or its author to their lists._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Bleach characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Tite Kubo et al.

_A Little Revenge_

_Candy, Candy, Not Everywhere?_

Yachiru was of course the first to mention that the merchants had apparently run out of her favorite treats. Not that she was too particular in what kind of sweet she ate but the ones she did like the best were the ones to go missing first. A few days later she was told by every shopkeeper she visited that all of the candy was gone from their stores and there was some glitch in getting the proper ingredients to make more. They weren't too specific and as she didn't care for the long winded explanations (she had enough of that when Kurotsuchi got going), she left to see if her favorite white haired captain or noble had any on hand.

Neither did but that didn't stop her from following her nose. Every time she thought she found some, it turned out to be just the sweet smell of baked goods long since distributed. The pink haired lieutenant did manage to snag a few cookies from Rukia's personal batch made by Yuzu but the Kuchiki princess had willingly shared what was most likely the best snack she'd had in a long time.

Returning to her barracks for the day to get some paperwork done, Yachiru wondered if she could convince either Baldy or Feathers to take her to the Living World to visit Ichigo's sister. Ken-chan wouldn't care and she could also probably find some candy there too. Didn't Urahara have a store that sold some?

The little girl went about her work, figuring that if she did everything and behaved at least a little better than usual, the third and fifth seat would be more willing to make the trip if they didn't become aggravated with her and her antics. Her theory was proven right and while they weren't pleased to have to go, Ken-chan made sure they went at her behest. Besides, she'd told them, they knew their way around Ichigo's hometown. If she went and got lost, there was no telling how long she'd be gone. Of course, they correctly interpreted that to mean that there was no telling how much damage she'd do.

Neither wanting to explain to the supernaturally powered humans living there why a pink haired little girl was on her own (most knew her reputation), Ikkaku and Yumichika took her to the other world but not before running to Ichigo so that he could call in a warning to everyone he had on speed dial.

That was how three out of the four conspirators came to be sweating bullets at the young lieutenant's journey. Ishida could take care of himself but while Yachiru was gone, the others had to somehow transfer a large quantity of candy and other sweets to the Research Institute without Kurotsuchi getting wind of the fact that it was being done to set him up for a visit from the pink pinball of doom.

Shunsui unknowingly or perhaps quite knowingly, came to their rescue when he asked each of them to ask Kurotsuchi for a favor. Knowing that a gift of sweets often swung the decision in their favor, Toushiro, Ichigo, and grudgingly Byakuya used the opportunity to their advantage. The entered the facility at different times, bearing gifts for seemingly everyone so as not to appear to be bribing the mad scientist, even though that was exactly what they wanted to do.

Everyone in the Seireitei took note, knowing that neither of the three going in liked the man very much. Nanao was the most suspicious after learning that Shunsui had sent them to do his dirty work. It was not the first time he had wanted something from the twelfth division captain and had sent someone else in his place.

"Captain…" she said now in warning, having noticed an interesting series of events in the past few days.

"Yes, my dear Nanao?"

"Why is it that the three most unlikely captains to eat candy have suddenly bought great quantities in the past few days? Yachiru could not find a single sweet. She ended up going to the Living World just to get some."

"Ah, well, I asked them for a favor and suggested they bribe Kurotsuchi. I think they went a bit overboard."

"They bought the sweets _before_ you asked them."

"Well, they did mention that they had business with the man when I said something. We all know those three hate Kurotsuchi. Perhaps they thought a larger bribe was needed."

"Everyone hates Kurotsuchi."

"My point exactly." Shunsui took a sip of sake, hoping his suspicious Nanao would leave the subject well enough alone. He knew full well what the captains and Quincy were up to and had decided to let things play out as they would. It might make a big mess in the end but it would be entertaining, at least. "And besides, Ichigo-kun said something about wanting to show his appreciation to the others working there. Especially Nemu. Kurotsuchi doesn't respect her at all and you know she does quite a bit of his work for him. Ichigo hates that attitude most of all I believe. A small gift of thanks is not so much to ask, now is it?"

Nanao agreed with Ichigo's opinion and dropped the subject. If there was something going on, she'd find out soon enough. "Speaking of work, there's a pile of forms needing your signature. Best get to it, Captain," she said now, taking away his sake jug and saucer. "Nanao, you're so mean…" He pretended to pout but was silently relieved that he seemed to have stemmed her suspicions, at least for the moment. He'd have to warn Ichigo to be more discreet. There were a few women that were hard to pass something over on and his beloved Nanao was one of them. As much as he didn't mind aiding and abetting whatever it was that they were really doing, he didn't want it to come back to bite him in the butt. His lieutenant would ultimately believe that he had been in on it from the start and dish out a punishment she thought fitting. Shunsui would rather avoid that if at all possible.

Luckily he was able to do that shortly after Nanao left him to his dreaded paperwork. Ichigo was admitted to the large office overlooking the rest of the Court of Pure Souls and bowed politely to his superior. There weren't many that he held in unblemished respect but Shunsui knew he was one of them. Ukitake had been another and Ichigo grieved right along with the soutaicho over his friend's death. It was one of the deciding factors that had led to the orange haired teen's appointment to captain.

"Kurotsuchi has agreed, after great protest, to your favor, Kyoraku-taicho."

"Excellent, I have hopes that the other two favors I have in mind, will be agreed to will equal ease."

"Is that all, sir?"

"Just one other thing, Ichigo-kun. Nanao has become suspicious of the fact that you bought so much candy but I think I've stopped that for the moment. I would think that you do not want her figuring things out. And I would rather her not either."

"I bought so much because that dumb merchant the other day said he could make a Chappy shaped chocolate for Rukia. Turns out, it was only after I had bought several more candy boxes that I found out it was a lie."

"That would explain you, but not the others. Be careful, or Lieutenant Kuchiki is not the only one you will have to deal with."

"Understood, sir." Ichigo left, rubbing the back of his head in frustration. He'd forgotten that he had to be careful of the eighth division lieutenant too. Not only was she very intelligent, but she was also a member of the SWA. "Crap."

Getting a little revenge was proving to be a little more difficult that he'd first presumed.


	6. Something's Rotten In Denmark

Disclaimer: I do not own the Bleach characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Tite Kubo et al.

_A Little Revenge_

_Something's Rotten in Denmark…Err, The Seireitei_

While Ichigo, Toushiro, Ishida, and Byakuya's plan was going as smoothly as expected, with the slight glitch pointed out by Kyoraku, the ladies of the SWA smelled a rat. Yachiru had complained long and loud about there not being any candy in the entire Court of Pure Souls. When both Momo and Rukia pointed out the fact that their boyfriends had gifted them recently with a large quantity, the pink haired president went on a war path looking for the stockpile. Only to be confounded when her search turned up nothing.

A meeting of the SWA was immediately called to rectify the situation. Nemu, being the vice-president, by some odd quirk of fate, reported that a large amount had been given to her father as a bribe for three favors. She herself had gotten a small box as thanks from Ichigo himself so she could truthfully say that he'd handed them out as gifts of appreciation. Beyond that she couldn't fathom his motivation other than the fact that she knew Kurotsuchi and Ichigo couldn't stand each other so it was only logical to think that the candy had indeed been a bribe.

"Something's not right," Nanao said after the meeting broke up. "I can see Kurosaki-taicho bribing Kurotsuchi-taicho. Indeed, it would be odd if he didn't. But people had seen your boyfriend in merchant shops before the soutaicho asked him to approach the twelfth division," she said now to Rukia.

"Maybe…" Momo wrinkled her brow, not knowing if the thought that came to her was accurate.

"Maybe what?"

"Well, there is a jeweler near most of the confectioners' shops. Maybe he was really getting you a gift of another sort." Rangiku perked up at this and tilted her head in consideration.

"Perhaps…"

"Why would he get me jewelry? I have no need of such frippery." The other women gave her pitying looks.

"She doesn't know, does she?" Nanao asked.

"Nope, and on pain of death by sakura blades we're not to tell her, either. I suppose the genius has finally gotten up the gumption."

"What do you mean?" Rukia frowned at the mention of her brother's shikai.

"Oh, you'll find out soon enough. I really would rather avoid an encounter with your brother's Zanpakutou. Haineko is still no match for him." Matsumoto rose, glancing at the clock Ichigo had installed in his office when he'd first come. "Well, time for me to go. If I stay any longer, a certain someone will come looking. Either that, or he'll make winter come early."

"That's right! Toushiro was taking me to lunch. We'll talk later, Rukia-san, all right? Maybe another explanation will come to mind in the meantime." Momo rose and quickly left the thirteenth division barracks in time to meet up with Toushiro as he left the tenth to go looking for his mother and girlfriend.

"You weren't at the fifth and Mother isn't at her desk," the ice dragon complained as he spotted Matsumoto as she came scooting out from behind Momo.

"The SWA had a meeting at Rukia-san's office."

"A meeting?" he asked, dread filling him. That couldn't be good.

"Yachiru called it. She heard you and some of the other captains had bought a lot of candy but when she went searching for it, she couldn't find it. Then she called a meeting to discuss the situation. We were just trying to think of a reason why Kurosaki-taicho would have been near the merchants. I thought maybe he'd really gone to get a ring for Rukia-san."

"Uh…maybe. He hasn't said anything but then, maybe he was just looking. She's not going to be an easy one to buy for." Toushiro made a mental note to pass the information on to Ichigo and then tried to turn their attention to other things by scowling at his mother. "You, work. Come on, Momo, let's go to lunch. Mother can go when we get back."

"You're so mean, Toushiro."

"So you keep saying." Toushiro ignored his mother's whines as he walked away with Momo. They only needed a few more days for things to settle down and Yachiru to get desperate enough to go looking in the Research Institute for the candy before their plan came to fruition. In that time, they had to do damage control before anyone with an above average IQ got an inkling about what was going on. Unfortunately, Nanao Ise was one such person and any more clues or abnormalities in their movements and he, Ichigo and Byakuya were sunk.

Maybe he could convince Ichigo to move up his time table and ask Rukia to marry him sooner.

* * *

Ichigo returned to his office from an uninformative meeting with Kurotsuchi to find that his office had been invaded by the SWA. Several of the women, including Nemu, were still present and he had to wonder if his plan had been found out. Rukia gave him an off look but didn't say anything. "To what do I owe this pleasure, ladies?"

"No reason, Kurosaki-taicho." Nanao noticed the slight slump of relief his shoulders gave when he heard her answer. "It was merely Kuchiki-san's turn to have the meeting at her barracks. She kindly allowed us the use of her office to keep Yachiru away from the rest of your men. She's in a bad mood because she can't find any candy with the Seireitei. I have a feeling that she's going to soon raid the Research Institute for the candy and other sweets you and Hitsugaya-taicho bribed Kurotsuchi-taicho with the other day."

"That wouldn't be good. By the time she gets frustrated enough, she's going to go on a rampage looking for the stuff. Nemu-san, perhaps you ought to warn your father so he can increase security measures."

"Master is well aware of the situation. I have no doubt that he has already done so."

"Good, well, if you'll excuse me, ladies, I have work to do that thankfully doesn't include listening to a windbag spout stuff he thinks should be self-evident." Nemu didn't bat an eye at the insult to her father so Ichigo rather suspected she'd often had the same thought but merely kept it to herself. Kurotsuchi may have created her but she did have a mind of her own and he wondered just what she could do if she felt free enough to do something that wasn't ordered. Her participation in the SWA was proof enough that she could make decisions based on her own wants.

"Of course, Kurosaki-taicho, we'll leave you to your work. Let's go, everyone." The remaining visitors followed Nanao without protest. Rukia stayed, still relaxing on the sofa.

"Is there anything that doesn't have to be signed yesterday?"

"No. Ichigo, Momo brought up an interesting possibility. Rumors are floating around that you bought a large quantity of candy from merchants. I have only had a few boxes and I know you gave some to Kurotsuchi-taicho as a bribe. That's all there was too it, wasn't there? Momo seemed to think that maybe you were going to the jewelers' nearby to get me a present."

"I bribed Kurotsuchi with a lot of candy. The three of us, your brother, Toushiro, and I all did. We can't stand the man any more than he can stand us. It was the right thing to do. No, I haven't been to a jeweler but that does remind me that your birthday's coming up."

"My birthday is in January. There's plenty of time until then and what would I do with a piece of jewelry?"

"It's just a thought, Rukia." Ichigo sighed, having prevented himself from digging a hole he couldn't get out of. "I guess it's a good thing that your birthday is still so far off. If you don't want jewelry, I'll have to think real hard about what you do want."

"I have what I want, right here," she said, making a hand gesture that encompassed the room and Ichigo.

"I have what I want right here too," he returned. They were silent for the rest of the afternoon. Neither one had ever had to fill the silence with needless chatter. Two halves of one whole needed only the other's presence to feel comfortable. That's the way it had always been and the way it would always be.

* * *

Several barracks away a confused lieutenant studied the forms in front of her, her brow furrowed in concentration. There was definitely something afoot in the Seireitei and has the closest one to the new soutaicho, Nanao felt that it was her duty to find out what that something was. She'd once heard a Living World saying that fit the situation perfectly. Something was rotten in Denmark. Well, in the Seireitei, anyway.


	7. The Pink Haired Ball of Doom

_A/N: Just two to thank for reviews: __**JadeKurosaki**__ and __**CressidaRene**__. And one to thank for adding this to his/her list: __**Arrin**__. After the depressing and infuriating manga chapter that came out last week, it took a while for my sense of humor, warped as it is, to return. I won't go into a rant but I'm sure I'm not the only one feeling the same way. "Determination" was the result and it helped get the inspiration going again. I now present chapter seven._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Bleach characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Tite Kubo et al.

_A Little Revenge_

_The Pink Haired Ball of Doom_

Yachiru was angry, frustrated and in desperate need of sugar. Her subordinates were suddenly twice as afraid of her as usual and Baldy and Feathers were in no mood to put up with a trip to the Rukongai to see if their shops had any candy. Even Kenpachi was getting irritated by her constant whining.

"Clown Face has candy," she pointed out, hanging from Zaraki's shoulder as they did a patrol around the Seireitei. Her guardian was actually on the lookout for Ichigo but it had been his turn to do the rounds.

"Then why don't you go bug him for it?" Kenpachi asked, wanting a good fight to lift his mood. Sometimes raising a girl was beyond him. As long as she wanted to wage war on hollows he was in his element. When she got the need for something else, something feminine, he wanted to hand her off to one of the women in the SWA and tell them not to bring her home until she was fixed.

"Could I, Ken-chan? Can I go get the candy from him? He's a big meanie for not sharing."

"Sure, take your time." The little girl cheered and with a hug for her adoptive father went dashing off to find the stash of sweets currently harbored by the twelfth division captain. Ikkaku came alongside his captain in time to see Yachiru take off at lightning speed for the Research Institute.

"Che, she can't tell north from south but give her permission to go get candy and her internal radar takes over. She's going to create a mess, Captain."

"Who cares? Serves that freak right for storing candy in a place she can infiltrate."

"I hear security has been beefed up. It's not going to be a pretty sight." The third seat grinned maniacally at the thought. "This should be fun. Want to go sit on the roof of the barracks and watch the fireworks with some sake?"

"Will there be blood?"

"Knowing the lieutenant, there will probably be pools of it." The two high ranking officers from the eleventh squad shared a look of anticipation and returned to set up shop where they could see the disaster in the making.

Nanao, doing her own investigating about what was going on, passed by the two in time to hear the conversation. The proverbial light bulb went on and she hot footed it to Shunsui to report the imminent threat. The soutaicho-apparent sat back in his chair reading a report, the first squad lieutenant standing over his shoulder to make sure that he didn't disappear before his work was done.

"Ah, Nanao-chan, for what reason have you visited me so early? It's not time for our lunch date, is it?" Kyoraku made to rise but Sasakibe pushed him back down. Nanao had trained him well in the captain's habits.

Nanao blushed, pointedly ignoring the teasing. "No, the Research Institute is about to be attacked." An alarm blared in the distance, signaling that her warning had come too late.

"By whom?" Lieutenant Sasakibe asked, his hand going to his sword.

"A pink haired ball of doom by the name of Yachiru Kusajishi. Kenpachi gave her permission to go get some candy from Captain Kurotsuchi. Only I don't think she has any intention of asking nicely and I doubt she'll take no for an answer. Is this what Kurosaki-taicho and the others have been planning? A little revenge on both her and the twelfth division captain?"

"I have no idea if Kurosaki-kun had made any plans of revenge. It doesn't seem to be his style, really. He's more the barge in and save the day kind of guy."

Doubt momentarily clouded her eyes and for one brief second Shunsui thought she'd believed herself to be mistaken. "That would explain his willing interaction with Captain Kuchiki. He and Captain Hitsugaya are the strategists."

"I really think Hitsugaya-kun has been too enamored of Hinamori-chan to be interested in petty revenge. What reason would they have? If they did something like that, it would only hurt their girlfriends' feelings. To say nothing of any future romantic developments."

"Shunsui, you're being a pervert, but you do have a point," Nanao conceded, too annoyed with herself for miscalculating to realize that she'd called him by his first name. Kyoraku grinned behind the form he was pretending to read. "That still leaves the question of what we're going to do to help the situation from degrading into an all-out war between the Research Institute and Yachiru."

The three in the room turned to stare out over the Seireitei and saw a plume of smoke and a giant fire ball erupt from the facilities. "I do believe that is already too late, Lieutenant Ise," Sasakibe said, coughing into his fist.

"We should leave things alone, my dear. If we get in the way, we could end up hurt ourselves. I believe that in this case, it is better to just sit back and wait for the smoke to clear," Shunsui said, as another smoke cloud appeared on the horizon. If he squinted, he could just make out the people gathering on their barrack roves to watch the spectacle. He hoped the three plotters enjoyed this because he had the feeling the rest of the SWA was going to figure out things pretty quick.

"As you wish, Soutaicho," Nanao said and made to leave. "Just know that any of that 'romantic development' you were referring to is put on hold indefinitely in your case, sir." She heard the groan he gave as she left the room and smiled to herself. In a good mood, she decided not to spill the secret to the other members of the SWA and would let the boys have their revenge. It really had been bad of Yachiru to insist on putting unauthorized photos of Kurosaki and his friends in the newsletter. The only thing she wanted to know was how allowing Yachiru to wreak havoc was punishing the little girl. She loved to create mayhem.

* * *

Ichigo watched from the roof of the barracks as the Research went under siege. Rukia stood beside him, her hand on Sode no Shirayuki's hilt. "What's going on?" she asked, wondering if they should come to the aid of the other division.

"I'm not quite sure, but I do believe they're being attacked. None of the soldiers from that division are running to the rescue so I don't think it's from the outside. Maybe it's Yachiru," Ichigo offered. "No maybe about it," he corrected himself, seeing Ikkaku salute him with a jug of sake. "It's Yachiru."

"Why would she attack the Institute?" Rukia no sooner got finished with the question than she turned on Ichigo. "You idiot, you and the others bought so much candy for Captain Kurotsuchi that there was none left for her. She's attacking the Research Institute to get some."

"Don't look at me, midget, it wasn't my idea." That at least was the absolute truth.

"It's still your fault. You should have known better."

"It's not my fault that there seems to be some sort of glitch in the confectioners' ability to make more around here. I'm sure the first district outside the walls has some. She could have gone there." It wasn't _precisely_ his fault, he mentally corrected. Byakuya had been the one to take the idea to the merchants.

"True," Rukia sighed. "Can you see her?"

Ichigo narrowed his golden brown eyes searching the area on fire. "Yup, there she is. A pink haired ball of doom."


	8. All Hades Breaks Loose

Disclaimer: I do not own the Bleach characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Tite Kubo et al.

_A Little Revenge_

_All "Hades" Breaks Loose_

Yachiru's face was a mask of insanity while she ran around the Research Institute looking for candy and consuming any that she came across. The security measures Kurotsuchi had installed upon receiving such a vast quantity were nothing compared to a little girl's desire. That she was being raised by the battle loving Zaraki should have told the mad scientist that his attempts would be for not.

Kurotsuchi's Zanpakutou was chasing Yachiru in its shikai state although the butterfly-like creature was having a hard time keeping up. No sooner would it come within striking distance then the lieutenant would eat some more sugar laden sweet and be off at an even faster pace. The man was too enraged at this point for the scientist in him to take the opportunity to study the affects the candy was having on the pink haired child. Nemu stood to one side knowing that eventually Yachiru's system would crash as sugar was only a temporary fix for needed energy but she had no intention of reminding her father of that fact. He'd just get angrier that he hadn't remembered it himself. Besides that, the vice-president of the SWA didn't think that there would be anything left by the time that event occurred.

There were explosions and terrified workers all around as their gifts of candy from Ichigo were snatched and consumed before some other piece of equipment bit the dust. Laughter now rose from the little girl, her race to find candy of any kind making the desired mess her fellow squad mate had predicted.

"Get back here you little worm!" Kurotsuchi shouted, ignored as usual. He'd never figured out that his way of addressing children just egged her on.

Yachiru paused long enough to take a sniff through the smoke and fire for the scent of sugar. Sensing the mother lode in front of her, she raced to the spot. Only to find the large stash protected by the reactor core Kurotsuchi used to power all of his experiments. She became a blur as she ate until her stomach hurt and stashed away as many candies as she could in her uniform for later.

More hyper than she had ever been, the pink haired ball of doom did something that would get her into trouble with even Kenpachi. Unable to control herself, the small lieutenant broke through the reactor's outer shell, causing the seal on it to be broken. Danger lights and sirens went off, alerting everyone outside to the explosion soon to come.

High ranking Shinigami who had until that point been watching the goings-on with delight went into overdrive in order to contain the blast radius soon to follow. Nemu managed to grab Yachiru while Kurotsuchi saved his own skin even while cursing the little girl.

Ichigo and the other captains began setting up a barrier while the lieutenants nearby made sure their men and women were as far away from the threat as possible. The orange haired taicho took a second to exchange a rueful glance with Toushiro before listening to Rukia's instructions on how to focus his energy. When he had first become a Shinigami he'd had no control over how his reiatsu was manipulated unless he was fighting. After a significant period of time where he hadn't had any power, the human born captain had been determined to learn how not only to control it so that it didn't affect everyone around him, but also how to use kidou, which he had previously left in Rukia's hands.

"Focus, Ichigo!" his girlfriend demanded now. "If we don't contain the blast, it'll destroy most of the Seireitei."

"I am! Yachiru's really going to get it now. All hell's breaking loose." Leaving the rest of what he wanted to say for later, Ichigo and the others struggled to contain the explosion. The sound was deafening when it happened, and a large crater was the result. The energy from the blast hadn't been able to go out and up, so it had gone down. Whatever had been stored in the basement was most certainly gone.

"Zaraki does not look pleased." Toushiro almost felt sorry for Yachiru as he saw adoptive father and daughter stare eye to eye at each other. The color leeched from the girl's face just then and she tossed up every piece of confection she'd managed to cram down her throat. That too landed on Kenpachi and they all watched as his face screwed up in disgust. Yachiru was thrust at a female subordinate nearby and ordered to clean her up. The captain of the Zaraki Squad returned to his barracks no doubt to take a bath.

"That was interesting," Ichigo ventured. "Who would have guessed that she would do _this_ much damage?" His friends looked down from their positions around the crater and watched as for the first time since knowing the scientist; Kurotsuchi fell to his knees and cried. They listened briefly to his complaints before turning and going back inside their own barracks.

* * *

Chaos still reigned several days later and while Rukia was out of the office trying to coordinate with Matsumoto about relief efforts, Ichigo took the opportunity to call Ishida. Since it was lunch time at their high school, he had every expectation of the Quincy answering his cell.

"This had better be important Kurosaki." The archer sounded slightly sick.

"I thought you might want to know how your plan worked out."

"And?" A moan followed the impatient prompt.

"Chaos still reigns supreme here and the Institute is no more. Things went slightly haywire but all in all, it was a success. What's wrong with you? You sound sick."

"I couldn't get out of eating the bento Orihime made for me." There was no need to explain further. The healer had never been able to make something the rest of them could stomach.

"Ask Tatsuki if she has anything with her to help. She's been caught once or twice." A noise of assent was made on the other end of the connection before Ishida abruptly cut it off. Ichigo figured his stomach couldn't handle its contents any longer.

He briefly considered calling Chad's cell but knew there was little point as the message would get around to him as soon as Ishida recovered sufficiently enough to do so. Ichigo only hoped that while the Quincy was sick, he didn't blab about what they had done to Orihime. Their strawberry-blonde friend liked Yachiru and would be upset that the pint sized disaster was in trouble for something they had instigated. That news of course would make it back to Rukia who would then pass the information along to the rest of the SWA. He and Toushiro would get the brunt of their anger and they would plot most deviously to get back at everyone involved.

"Kurosaki-taicho, a moment, if you wouldn't mind." Nanao Ise's voice sent warning bells of self-preservation off and Ichigo came to his feet instantly.

"Of course, come in, Ise-san." He was never quite sure how to treat the eighth squad lieutenant. She was the de-facto captain but her romantic connection to Kyoraku made her a deadly adversary. Not to mention that she was a member of the SWA. "What can I do for you?"

"I have a bone to pick with you, as the saying in your world goes."

"Ma'am?"

"I was willing to keep your involvement in this to myself, but now that there's a several kilometer hole where the Institute was I'm rethinking my position."

"We didn't mean for this much damage to happen," he blurted, mentally cursing himself. He should have known she would figure everything out. Ichigo had always known she was what was keeping the entire Gotei Thirteen from falling into neglect. If Kyoraku had his way, everyone would be required to take afternoon naps under sakura trees.

Nanao studied the young man, noting his gesture of rubbing the back of his head. She'd seen that more than once, indicating his embarrassment. "I see. You do realize what would have happened had you and the others not acted quickly."

"Yes, ma'am."

She narrowed her eyes at him once more, he seemed terrified of her. Being the girlfriend of the soutaicho did have its advantages. Even Shunsui was afraid of her on occasion. "Very well, just as long as you understand. I hope it was worth it."

Ichigo's grin sprang forth, his amusement and satisfaction overcoming his caution. "I don't think Yachiru will be causing trouble for anyone in the foreseeable future. Kenpachi has tried 'grounding.' A concept from the Living World."

"So I'm given to understand." Satisfied, the lieutenant nodded and bid the captain goodbye. She smirked to herself as she left, amused at the way he went from arrogant young man to respectful just at the sight of her. They had never had much interaction until he came here but he had never tried to speak to her in the informal way he did some of the others. Perhaps that had always been because he saw her as an authority figure he could trust and respect whereas the other lieutenants had either been too distant or too close in relative age to consider being friendly with. Matsumoto was a different matter as she had worked side by side with him when he was still just as substitute. Of course, Rangiku Matsumoto had never allowed anyone she considered a friend to get away with formality either. Either that or Ichigo had never seen her as someone in a position of authority to begin with. It was most likely the latter as the busty lieutenant/mother tended to act like a ditz.

Walking by the scene of the crime, Nanao studied the construction that was going on. She sighed when she caught Kurotsuchi's grating voice yelling directions and went back to her office, hoping that it was far enough away so that she wouldn't here the racket. She could count the number of times the Seireitei had been torn apart and most of them had had Ichigo Kurosaki right in the thick of things. It was really no surprise that when Hades had broken loose this time, he was in the middle of it again.


	9. And The Winner Is

_A/N: A couple of reviewers to thank: __**Umayar**__ and __**JadeKurosaki**__. And thank you to those who have added this or its author to your lists._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Bleach characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Tite Kubo et al.

_A Little Revenge_

_And The Winner Is…_

Yachiru didn't like being grounded. She wasn't allowed to beat her subordinates into a pulp as practice and she wasn't allowed to have any treats. Not that she wanted any sweets at the moment. After her siege on the Research Institute she had thrown up everything she'd consumed all over Kenpachi. That was the actual reason for her being grounded, not the fact that she had destroyed a large portion of the Gotei Thirteen's base of operations. Her Ken-chan couldn't care less about Kurotsuchi-taicho's precious lab but she had gotten defeated by a bunch of sugar laden candies afterwards. And the results had ended up all over him.

So for the foreseeable future she was stuck in the office at her desk doing nothing but paperwork. Her lessons were piled on top of all that, courteous of Yumichika who said it wasn't "beautiful" for a little girl to remain ignorant of the basics. As punishment it was tortuous enough to appeal to Kenpachi so she was out of luck trying to appeal to a higher authority. If she ever found out that someone had planned it so that she would end up this way, they would die a slow, painful death.

"Direct your attention over here, Lieutenant," the feathered fifth seat said, a cheesy smile on his face.

A _very_ painful death.

* * *

Ichigo and Toushiro lazed about on the roof of the tenth division, watching the clouds go by and congratulating themselves (silently) on a job well done. Byakuya had nodded to them earlier that day, about as much open praise as they'd ever get from the noble. "I heard Yachiru is grounded," the ice dragon mentioned around a mouthful of sweets sent by his grandmother.

"Yeah, that's what Ikkaku said. Told me he got the idea from hanging around Keigo's sister. Apparently the little squirt isn't taking it so well."

"Imagine that," Toushiro murmured; a smirk on his lips and laughter in his voice. He turned his head slightly to meet Ichigo's eyes. "Kurotsuchi isn't in any better of a mood. He's vowing revenge for what she did."

"Can't imagine how he's going to do that. Kenpachi will never let him touch a hair on Yachiru's head. He'd have to go through the whole eleventh division if he tried." Ichigo sat up, gazing across the expanse to where the large hole sat in prominent relief against the horizon. "Understandable, though. I never thought she could do so much damage. She's going to be one tough cookie when she gets her shikai."

"I shudder to think what'll happen on that day. And I don't even want to contemplate her bankai." The orange haired captain visibly gulped. "I guess that makes us the winners, huh?"

"Guess so, unless Ise-san decides to use what she knows against us."

"I forgot that she would figure things out quickly. We should have been more careful in our dealings with the soutaicho. She can always sniff out his mischief."

"At least Rukia, Hinamori-san and your mother don't know."

"We don't know what, Ichigo?" Matsumoto watched the two teens jerk in surprise. She hid her amusement, seeing the guilt flash in their eyes. Toushiro's feelings had always been easy for her to read. Rangiku figured that came with a maternal instinct and bond that hadn't been destroyed even though she hadn't been able to raise him.

"Nothing important, Rangiku-san. Did Rukia send you for me?" Ichigo had left his office to get away from the pile of papers on his desk. He figured that everyone was entitled to a break besides lunch. Rukia wasn't of the same mind but maybe that's why her work was always done before his.

"No, I came for my son, actually. _Your _desk is now the one in need of clearing." She smiled affectionately as Toushiro sighed in disgust.

"If you get any more responsible Mother, I'm going to have Unohana-taicho check you over and make sure Kurotsuchi didn't replace you with a machine."

Ichigo watched the by-play between mother and son and smiled. Standing, he stretched before bidding the duo goodbye. If he didn't return, Rukia would come herself and then he would be in for a world of hurt. "See ya," he said, launching off of the roof. He took a circular route back to his office, enjoying the ability of flash stepping. When he had lost his spiritual powers, he hadn't regretted sacrificing them to save his friends and family. He had however regretted their loss because of the freedom they'd given him. The wind in his hair showing his speed and the knowledge that he could take up arms to protect had been his _raison d'__ê__tre._ Losing those abilities had been like cutting out a piece of his soul. Zangetsu had known he would feel that way and had tried to stop him.

Despite the pain and hassle of Urahara's retraining and experimentation, the orange haired battle prodigy didn't regret those things either. They had allowed him to find Rukia and admit to her what others had known long before he did. That she was his soul mate. An odd concept when one considered the fact that he shared his soul with a Zanpakutou and a hollow. A pair that had been getting along suspiciously well lately.

Coming in through the window and seeing Rukia standing there tapping her small foot with her hands on her hips, he decided to worry about that puzzle later. By the look on her face, he had bigger things to worry about. "Where have you been, idiot? This paperwork won't sign itself."

"Just taking a break. I'm the captain, I can do that."

"You're starting to turn into Captain Kyoraku."

"Nah, you'll never let that happen." He tried a charming smile, hoping that would soften her stance on his apparently laziness. It didn't work.

"Get to work. It's our turn to patrol the Rukongai's fifteenth district. We leave in an hour." Giving him one of her superior looks, Rukia left to go gather a small group of men to take with them. Not that it was necessary but they needed the practice and he only tagged along for morale purposes. He was also hesitant to let Rukia go on her own with only non-shikai Shinigami for backup. Neither was he satisfied with the abilities of his third seats who had been more concerned with Ukitake's health than their fighting skills although their kidou was impressive.

If she knew that he worried like that about her, it was a kindness to him that she didn't blast him with her anger for it. Rukia had been just as happy as he when he'd showed up in the Soul Society, Zangetsu on his back, proving once and for all that his powers were back. Of course, his appearance had been when she was trying to fight a hollow and protect a group of children so his "save the day" attitude had been appreciated only for as long as it had taken to kill the hollow. Then she had ranted and raved about him being reckless and an idiot.

Grinning like the idiot she called him; he finished the paperwork and stored everything to send to the first division in the morning. Joining his troops, he sighed in contentment at the picture she made ordering everyone around. "Let's go," he said, leading the way out of the barracks.

"What foolish notion is making you grin like a fool?" Rukia snapped; aggravated for no apparent reason.

"Just thinking about what a winner I am."

"Why?" she asked, irritation gone in an instant.

"Because I have you again." Using his height to block his men's vision, Ichigo squeezed her hand where it swung loosely at her side. "I'm a winner because I have you again."

"You were always a winner, Ichigo. And I never left you, not in the way it would have mattered." Violet eyes softened when they looked at his serious face.

"When I couldn't sense you, I thought you had. Even though you could still see me, it didn't matter. Sometimes I thought I could _feel_ you but the others would merely shake their head when I'd ask them. It was driving me insane, not being able to hear you, see you, or to sense your reiatsu."

"That's why you were so determined to get your powers back. I understand, Ichigo. You're not the real winner, you know. Soul Society is. Aizen would have gotten away if you hadn't shown up when you did. He killed the soutaicho and Ukitake-taicho before making a break for it."

The thirteenth captain sighed, wondering how they had gone from him being a happy fool, to the circumstances involving Aizen's ultimate defeat. "I know. But I still come out on top. My family and friends are safe; I have you, and a good job. All without graduating from high school. How lucky can a guy get?"

"You are pretty lucky, aren't you?" Rukia asked; an arrogant lift to her lips. "You have me for a girlfriend." With that she went ahead of the group.

"I certainly do."


	10. The Winner Is Who?

_A/N: Thank you __**Umayar**__ and __**JadeKurosaki**__ for your reviews last time. This is the last chapter so I extend my thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, and added this or its author to their lists. It's also the last in this little series. I will be finishing the story and series for the other anime/manga I write for and editing all my stories before writing another story for __**Bleach**__. I also want to find out what Kubo-san has up his sleeve before making something new. So if you all like what I write for the manga/anime, stay tuned._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Bleach characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Tite Kubo et al.

_A Little Revenge_

_...The Winner Is Who?_

"You could tell them you know everything," Nanao remarked to Rangiku as they shared a cup of tea after the latest SWA meeting. The two lieutenants watched the faces of Rukia and Momo light up as Toushiro and Ichigo took them to dinner.

"Where would the fun be in that? Momo would just get angry at Toushiro and then my little boy would be sulking for who knows how long? Likewise with Rukia and Ichigo. I like them happy. For many years I couldn't do anything overtly maternal or Toushiro would have caught on to the fact that he wasn't an orphan and he most certainly wasn't from the Living World.

"Besides, the boys were perfectly within their rights to get a little revenge. It's been amusing to watch as they hatched a plot that got by both Yachiru and Kurotsuchi."

"True, and they were kind enough not to involve the rest of us. Yachiru has vowed revenge though. If she ever finds out that they planned it, she'll make their livings miserable, starting with the Quincy boy that came up with the idea in the first place."

"Ah, so you know about that too."

"Little escapes my notice, Rangiku-san." Nanao refilled their cups, taking a cookie that Ichigo's sister had made off of the plate in front of her. Yachiru had taken one look at the offerings and turned green. "How did you find out what they were planning?"

"Orihime. Apparently Ishida-kun talks in his sleep and he had the misfortune to do so when she was around to hear his gloating. I happened to talk to her before she could call Rukia and found out the whole story. What about you?"

"I saw Kurosaki-taicho have a voluntary conversation with Kuchiki-taicho that didn't end in insults. Then the confectioners mysteriously ran out of ingredients to make more candy. After seeing two teenage boys who should have been more interested in perfecting their bankai then consuming sugar, I got suspicious. Shunsui's evasiveness about why he was sending them on errands to the Research Institute clinched the matter."

"Ah, how did you know that Ishida-kun was behind the plot?"

"Your son likes to think such things are below his mentality and Kurosaki-taicho favors the direct approach. Since neither had come up with anything right away, I figured it had to be someone else who'd been victimized. Kuchiki-taicho tends to destroy things when he finds Yachiru's done something to alter his manor but he's yet to make a direct attack on her. Most likely he believes revenge that petty is beneath him. Plus, since it involved Kurotsuchi, Ishida-san was the most logical choice. As long as the scientist doesn't also come to the same conclusion, everything will be fine. I have the feeling that when he dies, the Quincy will have to have an escort to the Seireitei to prevent a battle between them."

"Kurotsuchi has too many on his list of suspects to ever be sure who exactly planned the attack. He's currently of the mind that everyone was in on it together. Nemu is politely staying out of the way until he moves on to some other project." Rangiku rose and began putting the things from the meeting away.

"You're the real winner in all of this, aren't you?" Nanao asked, seeing the satisfied look on her friend's face.

"I believe so. My son is happy, he's acting his age, and he's got a girlfriend that he'll one day marry. Plus, he's got a friend that'll stick by him no matter what happens. What more could a mother ask for?"

"Not much, I don't suppose. You're really going to let them think you don't know what they did?"

"When it comes to keeping secrets, I'm a master. Just this once, I'll give them a pass. It's the least I can do."

"You've really matured, Rangiku."

"Not really, I've just discovered what's important in life." The tenth division lieutenant smiled and bid farewell to the other woman. "Family and friends is infinitely better than wasting my time waiting for a man who thought revenge was better than raising a child," she finished to herself.

* * *

Ichigo and Rukia wandered the streets of the Seireitei after enjoying a dinner out. They had passed the time in near silence, without family or subordinates to infringe on their time together. No friends had popped up to interrupt and they liked the peace. Even though they could have flashed stepped anywhere within the Court of Pure Souls, there was no need. Ichigo wanted to enjoy the peace; he didn't want to have to be anywhere at a certain time.

They made their way to the old execution hill and gazed out over the city. Holding the hand of the woman most important to him, the teen exhaled and thought about the last time he had been on this hill. Like his inadvertent discovery of the real traitor of the Soul Society, Ichigo's battle with Aizen had ended here. The escaped convict had made it only as far as this place after killing the soutaicho and Captain Ukitake. Ichigo and his friends had come after he'd regained his powers because he'd gotten a bad feeling. Upon discussing things with Inoue, he'd asked her to try to reverse Aizen's immortality. Her flowers had taken to the idea excitedly and they'd managed to succeed where others had failed. It was the very reason Aizen had feared Inoue to begin with. She could reverse the flow of time and had done so, making killing Aizen with only his bankai possible. His shikai had still been a problem, easily rectified by holding on to the Zanpakutou. Gin had passed that information on in his journal.

"What are you thinking about?" Rukia asked, feeling his pensive nature.

"Aizen's defeat. When I came back to the Soul Society with the others, I had the feeling something was wrong. We thought the war was over but even after all that time, he was still plotting. If it wasn't for Inoue's ability to reverse time, I don't think we could have killed him."

"Anything is possible. The Gotei Thirteen gathered together in full strength. He didn't have the opportunity to wear us down fighting Arrcanar first."

"Except for Gramps and Ukitake-san."

"They were the only casualties that day. When altogether, friends can accomplish anything. You proved that when you returned. Thank you."

"What are you thanking me for? I was only doing what I was meant to do. Being a Shinigami is my destiny. And it's hereditary, apparently." Ichigo grinned at her smugly.

"Baka. We couldn't have won without you." Frowning, she became somber. "I'll be eternally grateful for your return."

"Did you think I'd let another second pass if it was possible before coming to see the woman I love?" Leaning against a tree, he pulled her into his embrace. Front to back, they eased their breathing until they were in sync with each other. "You are my soul mate, Rukia Kuchiki, the other half of me. Living a 'normal' life without you is impossible. I never wanted that."

"You're hopeless without me, carrot top."

"Midget," he returned with equal affection. "You're right though, I am hopeless. You are the only one who can get the rain in my soul to stop. Zangetsu would tell you that it was a deluge without you around. If he had been there to see my inner soul scape. Hichigo wasn't too happy about being left alone to endure. I guess he was too waterlogged to try to take over my body during that time."

"Your Zanpakutou worked just as hard to get back to mine as you did to get back to me."

"The sun can't be without his moon. He is nothing without her, you know. Zangetsu would do nothing but brood without Sode no Shirayuki."

"Like you're nothing without me? That brings up another interesting point, Ichigo Kurosaki. When are you going to ask me to marry you?"

Dead silence filled the late evening as the shock went through the captain. "Excuse me?" he sputtered, not quite believing he had heard her correctly.

"Don't be an idiot, I know you mean to. We may have long lives, baka, but I don't want to wait another fifty years while you get up the courage to approach my brother."

"Byakuya already knows of my intention to marry you. I was waiting until you were ready for me to ask you and for me to turn eighteen. Do you have a problem with that, midget?" She turned in his arms, and glared up at him.

"You were going to wait until _July_ to ask me? After all that we've been through, how could you possibly think that I'd need time to decide whether I wanted to marry you or not? Besides, nobles get married young. I'd rather have a promise from you sooner rather than later. Before my brother or the clan elders decide that it would be better to make an arranged marriage with some other house while you were dithering."

"I do not dither!" he shouted at her and thus began one of their arguments that degenerated into chaos. The topic went by the way side as they bickered, their voices carrying on the wind. Eventually she got fed up and kicked him in the shins, ready to flash step away.

"Oh, no you don't, midget," he growled, gritting his teeth against the pain in his legs. "You're not turning up your nose and swanning off this time. If you want me to propose, I'll propose."

"You don't have a ring. And you're not on your knees."

"I'll get you a ring, and as for on my knees, that should bring me eye to eye with you." So saying, the orange haired hero got to his knees and held onto her hands tightly. "Rukia Kuchiki, princess and witch, will you marry me?"

"Witch?" she asked quietly, wondering how he could ruin a perfectly good proposal with that one word.

"From the moment you entered my life, you transformed it. You have a power no other does, be she Shinigami or human. I want to spend the rest of eternity with you." Ichigo gave her his most charming grin, hoping she would understand what he meant.

Gazing upon golden brown eyes that held strength and vulnerability, Rukia nodded. "You did the same for me. I'll marry you." She let out a surprised shriek when he rose suddenly and picked her up.

"Thank you." After sharing a kiss, he tucked her tightly into his arms. "Now we just have to explain to your brother that you wouldn't let me wait any longer to say anything."

"Nii-sama can be reasonable." If there was one thing that Byakuya would not be reasonable about, it was Rukia's future. "We'll go in the morning."

"As you wish. In the meantime, what do you say about clearing some of the Chappy merchandise out of the office?"

"Maybe, _after_ you speak to Nii-sama." Ichigo groaned but didn't complain. If there was one thing he couldn't win against, it was the cartoon rabbit. When it came right down to it, the rodent would always win any contest.

"As you wish," he complied as they made their way home.

"Of course," she rejoined, giving him the superior look she was famous for. "Strawberry."

"Midget." Most wouldn't hear the love those two nicknames held but the captain and lieutenant of the thirteenth division knew what each other meant.

Their life together would not be peaceful but it would be filled with love and trust.


End file.
